U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, repeatedly went after Republicans during an hour-long question-and-answer session with constituents on Monday – and said the nation's political leaders need to act like grownups and work together.

Speaking to a largely senior audience, Wasserman Schultz trumpeted Democrats support for Social Security and Medicare. She choked back tears when answering gone woman's question about the future of the two programs.

Despite the preponderance of gray hair among the audience of about 150 at the Sunrise Senior Center, she also received several questions about jobs and the economy, including from some people weren't thrilled with President Barack Obama's performance.

Wasserman Schultz said congressional Democrats are focused on jobs and "responsible" deficit reduction.

"What we've seen from our colleagues, the Republicans in the majority, is a series of bills that have either pursued a reckless and extreme social agenda or sought to break the promises made to Americans in regard to Medicare and Social Security," she said.

Wasserman Schultz touted the Democratic-sponsored health care overhaul as something that is improving Medicare and saving 850,000-plus seniors in South Florida money on their prescription drugs.

Republican efforts to repeal what she called by the official name Affordable Care Act and Republicans call Obamacare would "cost seniors thousands of dollars."

"We need to strike a balance. We need to make sure that in these difficult times as we're trying to cut the deficit and make sure that we can strike a balance in deficit reduction and still provide for a quality of life for all Americans.

"Everybody has to pay their fair share. That's just a no brainer. But the Republicans seem to be only asking the people who can least afford it, the middle class, working families and small business owners, to pay their fair share. And the most fortunate Americans pay little to nothing."

Barry Rabinowitz, of Plantation, described himself as a lifelong Democrat who voted for Obama and strong supporter of the congresswoman.

But he's dissatisfied. "We need jobs, jobs, jobs," he said. "As a Democrat, I'm very disappointed in the lack of leadership with President Obama and other Democrats, present company excluded."

Wasserman Schultz said Democrats are aware of the need to do better on jobs.

And, she said, when the president took office the country was "bleeding" 750,000 jobs a month and Obama was faced with the biggest set of problems since Franklin D. Roosevelt. "We were really rocketing downward. The economy was on the precipice of disaster."

"We're no longer bleeding jobs. We've been adding jobs in the private sector for 17 straight months. We are on the upswing ever since President Obama took office.

"We have a long way to go, but we're going in the right direction," she said. "We're standing at a crossroads in America right now. There's a start contrast in the two directions we can go." Wasserman Schultz said the choices are pursuing Obama's policies or going to Republicans "failed policies of the past" which she said would "drive us off a cliff."

Wasserman Schultz said Democrats and Republicans need to find common ground. "We need to compromise. We need to work together. It can't be 100 percent our way. That's what I tell my kids," she said. "I feel like I have to sit down with my tea party friends on the Republican side of the aisle and explain why it can't always be 100 percent their way."

While Wasserman Schultz readily took after Republicans, she dialed back the rhetoric of one questioner.

Diane Glasser, the state Democratic committeewoman from Broward and a Tamarac City Commissioner, wanted to know what would happen with the so-called Super Committee of representatives and senators that's working to craft a deficit reduction plan.

Referring to the six Republicans, Glasser said, "These are strong-minded men who walk like Gestapo step by step following each other around."

Wasserman Schultz interrupted Glasser to warn her that "we should be careful about how we use the term Gestapo."

On the Super Committee, Wasserman Schultz said there are "a couple" of Republican members – she wouldn't name them – who "can be responsible."

Wasserman Schultz said entitlement programs need to be reformed "to ensure their sustainability," but that needs to be done in a way – she didn't specify how – that makes sure the programs are alive and well for the children of the audience in the room.

"We promised all seniors that when you reached the age of entitlement, you should have a floor through which we are not going to allow you to fall through," she said. "In order to shore it up we don't have to yank the safety net out from under our current seniors."